Paul Reubens Wants to Make A ‘Dark’ Pee-wee Film

Paul Reubens, also known as Pee-wee Herman, returned to the small screen with Netflix’s 2016 Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday. The movie, written by Reubens and Paul Rust (Love), was successful in reigniting nostalgia for the character. If you grew up in the 1980s chances are Pee-wee’s Playhouse was a part of your Saturday morning routine.

But it didn’t quite scratch the itch for Reubens, who has a different, much darker picture planned for the future.The story would follow Pee-wee’s emergence from prison into yodeling stardom, which in turn leads to a career in movies. Then, in a morbid twist, it would depict Pee-wee’s downward spiral becoming addicted to alcohol and pills. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Reubens states, “I’ve referred to it as the Valley of the Dolls Pee-wee movie. It’s about fame.”

Well, that certainly piques our interest. But as passionate Reubens is about shaking up Pee-wee’s squeaky clean character, he still needs to convince someone to fulfill his vision. Judd Apatow wasn’t on board with the idea, because it didn’t “check off all the boxes” of a Pee-wee movie. He insisted that Reubens keep his Netflix comeback in line with previous material.

But Reubens isn’t giving up on his dream anytime soon. He approached the Safdie Brothers (Good Time, Uncut Gems) with the project, and THR reveals that they are "considering" the project. With their penchant for the most demoralized and dejected corners of society, it might be a great fit. “I do feel like it’s going to probably happen,” Reubens says. “I have a couple of people that are interested. But this is Hollywood. A couple people interested and five bucks will get you five bucks.”